Automatic car-fender.



J, A. BYERS. AUTOMATIC GAR FENDER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27. 1908.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

AAQ:

if INVENTOR John .4. 33ers A By 2 ATTORNEY,

THE uokms PETERS co., 'WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOHN A. BYERS, OF VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF 'IO JOHN W. THORNTON, OF

VANCOUVER, CANADA.

AUTOMATIC GAB-FENDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Nov. 1'7, 1908.

Application filed April 2'7, 1908. Serial No. 129,48.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. BYERs, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada,residing at Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Oar-Fenders, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to a street car fender designed to automaticallydrop to the track level when an obstacle is encountered, and therebyafford a better protection to life and limb than is usually obtainablewith the majority of car fenders in use. The difficulty with suchfenders is that projecting as they do in advance of the car, the frontend must be normally at a considerable height above the level of thetrack to avoid its striking the track during oscillation of the car onits springs; under which circumstances although the fender will save aperson from passing under the car if he should happen to be in an erectposition when struck, if, as is frequently the case, the person hasfallen while hurriedly crossing the track to escape an advancing car thebody will pass under the fender and receive no protection from it.Attempts have been made to overcome this difliculty by supporting thefender in such a manner that the front end of it may be dropped by themotorman to the track level when an occasion arises for its use. Thisprinciple however does not satisfactorily meet the requirements as themotorman has quite suflicient to engage his attention in such anemergency, in cutting off the current from or reversing the motor, andin applying his brake, and might very readily neglect to lower thefender. I have therefore designed my fender that when an actuating barbeyond the front bar of the fender proper, encounters an obstacle itwill automatically release the fender and allow it to drop to the tracklevel.

I further furnish a supplementary fender under the car body and close infront of the leading wheels so that if a car be going at such a speedthat the front fender will not drop in time to save the body passingunder it the rear fender which is simultaneously lowered will insure thebody being lifted ofi the track.

The invention is fully described in the following specification,reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the front end of a car showing theapplication of my fender thereto, Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinalsection of the same, and Fig. 3, an end elevation.

In these drawings 2 represents the forward end of a car frame, 3 beingits platform level, and 4; the level of the track.

Supported in bearing brackets 5 secured to the front beam of the car isa shaft 6 on the ends of which are freely mounted suspension links 7 tothe lower ends of which are connected the inner ends of side frames 8between the outer ends of which side frames is secured a rod 9. Thereceiving net 11 of the fender is loosely suspended between this frontrod 9 and a corresponding one 12 secured between upward extensions fromthe bearing brackets 5. The fender frame is supported in its normalposition clear of the track as shown by the full lines in Figs. 1 and 2by a chain 15 connected to each side frame 8 which chain passing overdirecting sheaves 16, is coiled on and attached to a sheave 17 keyed oneach end of a shaft 18 rotatable in bearings secured to the car frame,and having a pawl or detent wheel 19 and a spring controlled pawl 20 tohold it in its sustaining position. When this pawl 20 is lifted fromengagement with the detent wheel, the shaft 18 is free to rotate and thechains 15 which sustain the front end of the fender frame unwind ofi thesheaves 17 and permit the front end to drop to the track, as shown bydot and dash lines in Figs. 1 and 2. Small wheels 10 may be placed oneach side of the rod 9 to facilitate its movement on the track whendown.

The release of the sustaining mechanism is effected when an obstructionis encountered on the track bythe backward movement of a light cross rod26 projected in advance of the front rod 9 and connected to side rods 25endwise movable in guides 27 secured to each side frame 8. The backwardend of each side rod 25 is connected to the free end of a lever 24:secured to the shaft 6 outside of the side frame suspension links 7 ofthe fender, and secured to the same shaft 6 is a lever 23 opposite tothe position of the detent wheel 19, the free end of which lever isconnected by a rod 22 to a downwardly bent extension 21 of the pawl 20.Thus if an obstruction is encountered on the track the advance bar 26and its light side rods are driven back and by means of the levers 24:and 23 on the shaft 6 release the pawl 20 from engagement with thedetent wheel and the front end of the fender falls to the track level.

It will be noted that the front bar 9 of the fender falls to the trackin a backward curve and that as the fender frame is suspended freely onthe shaft 6 is susceptible of further backward movement under theimpulse of an obstruction that would release and drop the front end ofthe fender. The advantage of this is obvious in preventing a body frompassing under the fender and in lessening the shock of the blow struck.The free suspension of the fender also enables it to be folded againstthe front end of the car when desired.

If it is feared that when the car is going at a high speed the fendermight not fall quick enough to avoid overrunning a body that might belying on the track a supplementary fender frame 30 may be furnishedvertically movable in guides 31 just in advance of the leading wheels ofthe car. This supplementary frame is sustained clear of the track bychains 32 over directing sheaves 33 and secured to sheaves 34 on theshaft 18 in such a manner that the release of the detent wheel in themanner already described will allow the supplementary fender to fall tothe track. This movement will be simultaneous with that of the frontfender and will effectually prevent a body passing under the wheelswhich might have passed under the front fender.

To enable the motorman to effect the re lease of the sustaining pawl 20and drop the fender a pedal lever 14 may be connected to the pawl asshown in Fig. 2. After the fender has been dropped it may be restored toits normal position by rotating the'shaft 18 in any suitable manner andthe pawl will drop into its detent in the wheel 19 and sustain it there.

I Having now particularly described my invention and the manner of itsuse, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to beprotected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. As a car fender, a frame the after end of which is pivotallysuspended from a shaft extending across the front end of the car and thefront end of which frame is supported clear of the track by flexibleconnections to rotatable sheaves on the car frame, a pawl for preventingrotation of the sheaves whereby the front end of the fender issustained, and means for releasing such pawl whereby the front end maybe allowed to drop to the track level, said means comprising a light barprojected in advance of the front bar ofthe fender and connected to sidebars slidably mounted on the side frames of the fender, and a leversecured to the shaft to which the after end of the fender is suspended.

2. As a car fender, aframe the after end of which is pivotally suspendedfrom a shaft extending across the front end of the car and the front endsustained clear of the track by flexible connections to rotatablesheaves on the car frame, a pawl for preventing rotation of the sheaveswhereby the front end of the fender is sustained, means projected beyondthe front end of the fender for releasing said pawl from engagement withthe sheave whereby the front end of the fender may be allowed to fall tothe track and a secondary fender between the front end of the car andthe leading wheels thereof, which secondary fender is sustained clear ofthe track by flexible connections to sheaves secured to the samerotatable shaft which supports the leading fender, and simultaneouslyreleased.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. BYERS.

WVitnesses:

JOHN W. THORNTON, ROWLAND BRITTAIN.

